Jesus said that if any one among you is to be great, then you must be the servant of the least among you. He told us how we will be judged on the Day of the Lord. It is all laid out in Matthew Chapter 25. It has to do with being that suffering servant that Jesus himself was. I could be wrong but it is there in plain language for all to see. When did we clothe the naked, feed the poor etc. I doubt if the Lord will even ask us how many times we prayed or went to Mass. Yes we must eat our Savior so that we may draw life from Him (Jesus' words). So for all Pope Francis' heterodoxy, maybe he had his priorities right. He visited the prisons, washed the prisoners feet, put the homeless first etc. Will the Lord have asked him how many times He prayed the Latin Mass? I doubt it. It looks like Pope Leo has a pastoral heart too and recognises that Pope Francis had the same pastoral concerns. The first will be last and the last will be first. Let us just be humble and implore mercy from the Lord that we be like Jesus and follow Him as He would have it.
Polls taken after Pope Francis' death indicate that 85% of UK Catholics and 75% of US Catholics regarded his papacy favourably. Which means that his successor has to tread very carefully and not be seen to disparage or contradict him to avoid open warfare. We cannot therefore expect any rapid reversals/corrections. Bishop Strickland also pointed out, before the election, that anyone succeeding with traditional leanings would be in a very difficult position and would need to tread very carefully. Pope Leo has given his support to collegiality and synodality BUT with the important but, easily missed, reference to 'informed' participation. Such subtle but vital corrections are the best we can hope for until the Francis legacy fades into the past. The barque of Christ is a big ship and will take some time to turn around but I feel that we have the right man to do it.
Informed participation is reassuring. I was a little concerned when I read something about his interest in the sensus fidei. From what we've seen lately, the synodal process has been more about the sense of the faithless. Maybe this is a sign that non-believers won't be active participants during this papacy.
We just have to wait and see. Prophecy says the angelic Pope will not be a cardinal. So, Pope Leo may mean well or not, but he’s not the angelic one. I believe in Garabandal and Akita. Some of you may not. And that’s ok, you are not obliged to believe in any apparition. But those apparitions have kept me alert. I was not shocked by Bergoglio’s reign at all. I expected it. I think we should all be cautious on this next Pope too. Prayer and fasting for Pope Leo XIV is good for us and him. If things get worse we will be spiritually prepared. I believe Padraig wants us not to get fooled again. Because this time evil may not be so obvious. Fulton Sheen warned us about that. Thank you Padraig.
Some very wise positions being taken. I think a new thread needs made were Padraig can lay out the reasons for his extreme reversal of his prior position. It has already been noted that there was a time people were being booted out of the forum for criticising Francis even when his papacy was blatantly espousing positions at odds with Catholic faith. This is a fact. Then suddenly it was open season. Now we have had a new Holy Father for a handful of days and for what seems for no other reason than the changing of the wind the man is labelled as incarnate evil. In charity, forum members deserve to hear some justification for this. Such pendulum swings seem erratic and give cause for deep thought and concern. This is a difficult post to write. So please excuse any repetition.
What a sad indictment of the state of the Church. Thank God the worst papacy in the history of the Church has ended because the incumbent on the chair of Peter did not believe in the power of the Gospel nor the power of God's grace to transform lives (the minimalist phrase 'who am I to judge' is not an escape clause from preaching the truth). God is not a minimalist for he is more than generous in providing his children with the necessary grace to become sons of God. John 1v12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His name.
On this feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, I pray that the Mother of God forum, and all of our members come under the mantle of Mary's protection. Peace be with all of you on this blessed day.
My initial reaction was grave disappointment because when I heard ‘Robertum’ I thought it was Sarah! But although (to my shame) sweary words were said, I had no feelings of foreboding on seeing Leo XIV on the Loggia in mozzetta and stole. He blessed the crowd in Latin, the same blessing that Fr Ripperger gives, which was a huge sign that this is not Frank 2. He already looked like a pope by the end of the appearance. Some have seen a similarity with JPII. I also love the name he had chosen. I do agree that some orthodox Catholics are fanboying already but it’s hard not to wake up in the morning feeling glad that we have a pope who isn’t Francis. At first I did briefly wonder that he might be trolling us with the name and the Latin but I think not. The name is wonderful - Leo XIII was a terrific pope. Prevost’s Latin is nigh on flawless, which suggests familiarity and use. I don’t think this is deception. Rather, as my husband says, we’ve got a Gorbachev situation. Elected as a hardliner but proved to be a moderate. With so many cardinals picked by Francis we were never going to get Cdl Sarah or Cdl Burke elected. I feel a sense of inexplicable joy and hope. I wake up joyful. I know emotions are untrustworthy but this feels deeper. I am aware I could be deceived, but so far it looks as if we got the best pope we could have, given the college of cardinals. We’ll see who he promotes. Personnel is policy, as we found out under Bergoglio. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. As for the naysayers, let us give them time and understanding. An analogy here is of someone coming out of an abusive relationship and fearing to trust ever again. It takes time to trust when you’ve been badly hurt. After the last papacy I think many people are afraid to trust Leo in case he betrays them. We will know soon enough. Let us offer rosaries for this new guy and entrust him to God.
Thank you; I agree, this post needed to be written and hopefully will be addressed. I am very fond of Padraig, as I think we all are. What most worries me on this forum, though, is that he says he is in direct communication with God, in the 7th mansion (which only a few great saints have attained and makes you incapable of sin at that point), and in this latest swing of the pendulum, he says that he has a divine secret given to him when he was 16 that means this pope is evil. Even though a few days ago he said he was thankful to finally have a good and holy pope. I think because we love Padraig, we should address this with him. He is looked up to by so many, as a leader of sorts, and people can be led astray easily by someone who claims such incredible supernatural gifts and communication with God. It is such a dangerous territory to be in spiritually, to proclaim such things and then use them to back up personal strong opinions that damage the reputation of God's most beloved sons. I say all this as I would to my own very loved family members. Padraig, I hope you will think about this and address it. I know you don't want to lead souls astray. But your quickness to tell everyone you speak to God and the saints and receive secrets, without being under a spiritual advisor and given permission to do so, and running a forum where you are respected as a leader, puts your soul and those of others in a very dangerous position. It is far too easy to get carried away with pride and trust in your own opinions...and very easy to be deceived by the devil. That is why a true visionary must always be under a spiritual director and given permission to share such things. A true holy visionary doesn't trust himself and his own ideas, and constantly seeks reassurance from his spiritual director that these things truly are from God. ESPECIALLY when many people are listening and taking to heart what you say...What a responsibility upon your soul! There are false prophets everywhere these days. They are deceived and are consequently deceiving others, and they have done incredible damage to the flock in these last couple decades. I know you mean well, Padraig, but couldn't it be possible that you are mistaken on some of these things? I know you don't want to lead our souls astray, to turn us away from the pope that God has given us as His Vicar, with possible terrible consequences for your and our souls? At the very least, if your communication from God was true, your words would not be so erratic and contradictory. You would be consistent, and humble. Please give this prayerful thought, Padraig.
I knew it was Prevost when I heard the name Robertum, because I had already read on Twitter the day before that his candidacy was gaining momentum in the College of Cardinals. Still, it was surprising to see the election of a cardinal I had only come to know the day before. In the five seconds following the announcement of Robertum Franciscum, I could have bet that the next name would be Ioannis XXIV.
This Remnant writer has been one of the new pope’s harshest critics from the moment he came on the balcony on social media. However…
I said this elsewhere- as I ponder the recent changes in the church and Our new Pope - I am reminded of Our Lords words in the Garden to His closest apostles - Watch and Pray.
I have a suggestion let's just get on with our Catholic lives, say our rosaries and trust in God. We are all called to holiness. And let's remember for the first 1850 years of church history most Catholics hadn't a clue who the Pope was and yet the faith survived.
Great suggestion. You are right. Part of the uproar today is that the internet and the rest of the media continue to report every last time the new Pope coughs. You are right.
